The Risk Management Helpline is a resource for South Carolina Bar members only.
All ethics assistance or guidance is non-binding and intended only to be informational. Before contacting the Helpline, please read the following Rules. By contacting the Helpline, you acknowledge and consent to these Rules.
- The Risk Management Helpline is a service for lawyers admitted to practice in South Carolina with questions about the South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Discussion takes place in a brief and informal phone conversation about the Bar member’s own prospective conduct. We do not discuss questions about the member’s past conduct or the conduct of other lawyers.
- Bar members should research the ethics rules, ethics opinions, and frequently asked questions before contacting us. We can offer assistance in locating resources and provide a sounding board but Bar members must make their own conclusions.
- We do not discuss questions that are the subject of a pending legal proceeding or are before a grievance committee.
- We do not provide assistance to Bar members requesting assistance through an intermediary (such as a nonlawyer employee).
- We do not provide legal advice or answer questions of law. The Helpline is not a substitute for engaging private legal ethics counsel.
- Assistance or guidance provided may not be used as evidence in court, administrative proceedings, or disciplinary proceedings for any purpose including supporting a defense.
- We do not answer questions about the unauthorized practice of law (UPL).
- Assistance is based solely on the facts provided by the Bar member. A material variation in the facts could change or void the guidance given.
- Due to the informal nature of calls, guidance is of a general nature. It is the Bar member’s responsibility to conduct independent research. We are not responsible for providing comprehensive research.
how to make a request
You may email a request with your name, bar number, email address, phone number, and a brief statement of facts and the nature of your ethics inquiry. If your matter is urgent, you may wish to retain professional ethics counsel.
Submit a Request